Firearm



B. H. BALL.

FIREARM.

APPLrcATloN FILED Dc.24. 191s.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

B. H. BALL.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.24. 1918.

1,398,085, Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IMQ

llllllll B. H. BALL.

FIRERM.

ArPucATloN man DEc.24. |918.

Patented Nov. 22, 192.1.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. H. BALL.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION man DEc.24. 1918.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

40 vweM/{Soz 40 y m Unirse stares PATENT FFCE.

BENJAMIN H. BALL, 0F THE UNITED STATES ARMY, ASSIGNOR T0 NEWTON D.BAKER, SECRETARY OF WAR, TRUSTEE.

FIREARM. Y

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application filed December 24, 1918. Serial No. 268,172.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN H. BALL,

Lieut., Ordnance Department, United States Army, a citizen of the UnitedStates, stationed at Vashington, District of Columbia, have invented anImprovement in Firearms, of which the following is a specication.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any ofits oliicers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, orby any other person in the United States, without payment of any royaltythereon.

lVhile this invention relates generally to rearms, it has specificreference to a revolver adapted to be carried by a gun, and to be usedat close quarters, as in trench warfare and in bayonet charges, as asubstitute for the so-called flaming bayonetvv pistol, which utilizesoil as an illuminating means, and which gives an intense or brilliantlight to dazzle the eyes of the enemy when troops are fighting at closequarters, thus conducing to the discomfiture and confusion of the enemy.The flaming bayonet pistol utilizing oil has been shown in practice tohave certain defects and disadvantages which my invention is designed toovercome.

The principal object of the present invention is substantially tosimplify the construction of revolvers of the type noted.

A further Objectis to provide a construction in which the use of springsis, to a large extent, dispensed with.

A further object is to provide novel means for preventing accident-alremoval of the cartridge-cylinder from its casing.

A further object is to combine with said means a muzzle, or barrel.

With these objects in View, and others appearing as the specificationproceeds and the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, theinvention resides, broadly, in the combination, with a hammer, of acombined Sear, hammer cooking member and hammer driving spring support.

The invention resides, further, in a hinged or otherwise convenientlyoperated cover for the end of the cartridge-cylinder casing, which holdstheV cylinder in position and allows of ready removal and replacementthereof.

' The vinvention further resides in a cover` for the purpose indicated,carrying a muzzle, or barrel.

The invention finally resides in various novel and felicitouscombinations and arrangements of parts, and in certain refinements ofstructure, going to make up the ultimate perfection of the revolver asan entlrety.

The accompanying drawings clearly disclose .an exemplary embodiment ofthe underlymg principles of my invention. Like reference charactersidentify corresponding parts throughout the several views, which lattermay be briefly described as follows:

Figure l is a top plan view of my revolver.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal, sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig.1;

Figs 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views on the line 3 3, and P-4l,respectively, F ig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of the revolver;

Fig. 6 is a collective detail of the cartridge-cylinder pawl, as viewedfrom three positions; Y i

Fig. 7 is a collective detail view of the trigger, as viewed from twopositions;

Fig. 8 is a collective detail view of the stirrup yoke, as viewed fromseveral positions;

Fig. 9 is a collective detail of the combined scar, hammer-cookingmember and hammer-driving spring support, as viewed from severalpositions;

Fig. l0 is a'v collective detail of the stop pin for thecartridge-cylinder, and

Fig. l1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a slightly modified form ofcartridgecylinder and of a cover carrying a barrel instead of a muzzle.

Referring, now, in detail to the drawings.:

The housing or casing containing certain of the working parts of themechanism comprises, in this instance, a side plate or wall 1; anopposite side plate orwall 2, carrying longitudinally extending marginalflanges 3, 4. constituting the top and bottom, respectively, of thehousing; and a front end plate or wall 5, preferably integral with theside plate 2. At the end opposite the wall 5, the top and bottom plates3 and 4 are preferably convergently curved, as shown in Fig. 2. Suitablefastening means (not shown) may pass through openings 6 in the casing tohold the sections thereof in assembled relation.

Transversely of said casing near the bottom thereof, and rotatablysupported in suitable bearings, is a shaft 7 projecting through the sidewall 2 of said casing.

Appropriately secured to the externally projecting end of said shaft isa trigger 8, comprising, in this instance, an arm, as shown, provided onits under surface with a longitudinally extending groove 9, and with alongitudinally extending slot 10.

Pivotally supported, intermediate its ends, in slot 10, toward one endthereof, is a trigger safety member 11, a portion of which works throughthe slot, and the free end of which is adapted to contact with a stop 12on the exterior surface of the said wall 2 of the casing, ythuspreventing movement of the trigger in the operative direction thereof. Acurvilinear leaf spring 13 is disposed, as shown, between said trigger 8and the safety member 11, and one end of said spring enters the groove9, said spring functioning, as is evident, while the trigger is innormal position, to hold the safety member 11 in juxtaposed relationshipwith thev stop 12, thus preventing accidental movement of the trigger inthe operative direction thereof. No

. particular stress is laid upon this exact form notches are situatedlugs or ears 16, 16, carried by the inclined edge of the sides 17,17, ofa member 18, whichV functions as a sear, as a support for the hammerdriving spring 25, and as a hammer cocking member, and the term combinedsear, hammer driving spring support, and hammer cocking member, as usedin the appended claims, identifies this member 18, and comprehends anyequivalent member capable of performing this triple function, or any twoof said functions.

The member 18 carries the hammer driving spring 25, which preferablyencircles a rod 26 projecting slidably through the end wall 2O of themember 18 and provided with a head 27. yOne end of the hammer drivingspring 25 bears against the inner surface of Vthe wall 2O and the otherend against the rear face of the head 27, as shown. Said head Visprovided with a curvilinear front cam face, 28, which normally liesagainst the complemental curved cam surface of the said edge of thehammer, as shown in Fig. 2. The toes 29, 30 of the head 27 are adaptedto engage, respectively, in the pocket 31 and against a shoulder 32,formed on the rear edge of the hammer. As shown, the member 18 isadvantageously supported in a downward-inclined position.

Screwed on the end wall 5 of the casing is a cylinder casing 33, which.is a tubular member provided with a cover 34 hinged at 35, said coverbeing provided, opposite the hinged portion thereof, with a tongue 36,of spring material, constituting a latch, which, when the cover is movedto closing position, springs over a latch-pin 36 to maintain the coverin closed position. While I have described arhinged cover, it is to beunderstood that I may use other forms of covers detachably secured tothe casing 33 in other ways.4 Y

The cover 34 carries a muzzle 47, which preferably has a flaringv mouth.The muzzle 47 is preferably, secured to the cover by having the rearcircumferential edge thereof spun over the cover.

The cartridge-cylinder 37 may be of con- Y ventional construction andprovided with notches 38 with which, successively, engages the head 39of a stop-pin 40, of spring material, pinned toward one end, as at 41,to the wall 5. A pawl 42 secured to the hammer 23, as at 43, engages,successively, teeth on the cartridge-cylinder, as usual, to rotate thesame, to bring thechambers thereof successively into alinement with thefiring pin and muzzle.

Instead of carryingV a muzzle, the cover 34a may, as shown in F ig. 11,carry a barrel 47a, which may be rifled as at 50, and the cover may bescrewed ionto the cylindercasing, as shown. If desired, the barre-l 47amay be dispensed with, and the chambers 37 of the` cartridge-cylinder37"L may be rifled.

The revolver carries supporting arms 44, 44, having curvilinear tops 45,45, in which the barrel of thegun mayrepose when the revolver isassembled with a gun. A bayonetrests against the bottoms 46, 46, of saidarms. By this means, the revolver isV supported in position on the gun.means described for supporting the revolver on the gun is preferred,because of its extreme simplicity, and the ease with which the revolvermay be placed .on the g1'1n ,yet

While the other supporting means will readily suggest themselves, andmay be substituted, if desired.

In the operation of the revolver, the trigger 8 is grasped by theoperator and the safety member 11 moved to rock the operative endthereof away from the safety stop 12. 'Ihe trigger is moved in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 2, near the trigger. This movement of-the trigger rocks the rock-shaft 7, thereby swinging the cranks 14, 14,forward and, by their engagement with the lugs 16, 16, of the member 18,move the latter forward. By reason of the fact that the forward edge ofthe bottom 21 of the member 18 engages the bottom shoulder 22 of thehammer, the latter is swung rearward on its pivot 24, thus cooking thehammer. As the hammer swings rearward to cocking position, it pushes therod 26 rearward, because the toe 29 of the head 27 engages the pocket 31of the hammer. The hammer driving spring 19 is thus compressed, to drivethe hammer forward into firing position when the forward edge of thebottom 21 of the member 1S finally is forced out of engagement with theshoulder 22, by shoulder or toe 32 striking the bottom 21.

Having thus fully described the construction, the many advantages of theinvention will be apparent. lVhile the invention is susceptible of manychanges in structural parts, all such changes as come within the scopeof the appended claims constitute no departure from the spirit of theinvention.

I/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a firearm, the combination, with the hammer, of a combined sear,hammer driving spring support and hammer-cooking member engaging saidhammer, toward the bottom of the rear edge thereof; and a triggermechanism for moving said combination member to cock and release thehammer and to compress the hammer driving spring.

2. In a firearm, the combination, with the hammer, of a combined Sear,hammer-drivingspring support and hammer-Cooking member engaging saidhammer; a member slidable through said combination member and engagingsaid hammer; and a hammer driving spring encircling said second member.

8. In a firearm, the combination, with the hammer, of a combined sear,hammer-driving-spring support and hammer-cooking member engaging saidhammer; a rod slidable through said combination member and provided witha head having a curvilinear face engaging said hammer; and a hammerdriving spring encircling said rod.

4. In a firearm, the combination, with the hammer, of a combined sear,hammer-driving-spring support and hammer-cooking member engaging saidhammer; a trigger mechanism for controlling the forward movement of saidcombination member, and comprising a rock-shaft, a trigger carried bysaid rock-shaft and connections between said rock-shaft and saidcombination member.

5. In a firearm, the combination, with a hammer, of a combined sear,hammer-driving-spring support and hammer-cooking member engagingsaidhammer; a trigger mechanism for controlling the forward movement ofsaid combination member, and comprising a rock-shaft, a trigger carriedby said rock-shaft, and cranks carried by said rock-shaft and engagingsaid combination member.

6. In a firearm, the combination, with a hammer, of a combined sear,hammer-driving-spring support and hammer-cocking member engaging saidhammer, said combination member including side wal1s;'and a triggermechanism including a rock-shaft, a trigger carried by said rock-shaft,and connections between said rock-shaft and said side walls.

7. In a firearm, the combination, with a removable cartridge-cylinder,of "a cartridge-cylinder casing, and a cover carried by said casing andclosing one end thereof, said cover carrying a. hollow member with whichthe chambers of said cartridge-cylinder successively aline in therotation of the latter.

BENJAMIN H. BALL.

